Denali, the Great one, June 22nd about.

Today we are on the road to Denali National Park & Preserve.  You might recognize the name as Mt. McKinley ("Denali" was the original, 'First Nation'/Native American name and what every one here calls it), the highest mountain in North America, at 20,320 feet.  It is so high and covers such a large area that it creates it's own weather.  The story goes that only 30% of the visitors even see it and only 10% see it without clouds.  As you will see, we were one of the lucky 10%, & for all five days while we were there.  People cannot drive more than 15 miles into the park; the rest is 'Preserve', and only tour buses or bikes & hikers can enter.  We had planned on staying for ten days, but all the prices for the bus rides and tours were ridiculously high.  

And the mosquitoes:    For a while there was no bug repellent left in Alaska because they had sold out.  Either that or the bugs were using it for a blood chaser.  Couple of folks who have lived here for 30 to 40 years say they have never been so bad.  Alaska had a real late snow of over a foot around the 15th of May and 10 days later it was in the 80's.  Anyhow, so much for the bugs.  Let's get back to the blog.

My Dear Bride, as always, was able to shoot photos between the splats on the windshield and got some good shots on the road.  Not only that, she has become a good navigator, with some help from our guides, pictured.

The red flags always indicate some kind of road damage

Then, of course, there's Road Construction

See the timberline?

Something we have seen in Alaska is the timberline:  It is a lot lower here.  In Oregon it is usually around 8 to 10 thousand feet.  In Alaska it is very seldom over 3000 feet.  

It is only 119 miles from Fairbanks to Denali so it didn't take a long day drive to get here.  We got settled in a nice site--not where we wanted--but we were lucky we called a few days ago and got reservations.  When we are here--around the date of the Summer Solstice (June 21)-- is a very popular time to visit!

Native blue Lupines and pink wild Roses are in bloom

No water or electric but we are setup so that is not a problem.







  Then we went exploring.  Of course. first the Visitor Center. 

Mocassin beadwork, in 3-D, at the Visitor Center

Probably before the end of the trip, My Dear Bride will own a pair.  But look at the detail.

Nice walking trails to admire the view.  And good displays inside.

But we wanted to see real wildlife or Denali, or Whatever.  We have already seen a lot of mounted critters.  So we went and found 

Native Alaskan Lupine

flowers.  My Dear Bride will give you more info on them when it is her turn to write. 

  While there Pauline made friends with a bear.

Very good relief map also at the Visitor Center.

 We drove out to Mountain Viewpoint (you can only drive out 15 miles on the only park road) .  When we got there we got our first view of 'The Great One', Denali

Look carefully for the ghost of the Mountain, 90 miles away!

Yeah, I know, big deal, but it is a long ways off.
After looking around we decide to go back to the RV, read a while and hit the sack, which we did, until 2 AM when MY Dear Bride decided we should go "see the Alpenglow".  What the hello is an "Alpenglow"???  Well, I had to find out, I guess.

It is 2 AM, this bright, and the bugs are the only thing awake.  Remember, this is right around the Summer Solstice!

See, no one else is up and after the "Alpenglow".  I could hear the snores as we drove by these poor people who are missing the "Alpenglow"

The sun is behind that hill.  So we continue on to Mountain View.

a native Potentilla in bloom along the trail

My Dear Bride took pictures of these flowers at 230AM.  She woke them up too.

lovely drifts of Lupine

Along the trail, while waiting for the "Alpenglow".

Looking for the "Alpenglow".  Notice the Mosquito Netting Jacket--a great help for our early hour hike, but not long enough.

A lovely surprise was that we caught the full moon setting--so that means the sun should be coming up shortly--except it is behind that hill.
And here it comes.

Now you also know what an "Alpenglow" is:  that surreal pink glow!  What a treat!  Looks kind of like a ghost.

It didn't last long and then clouds came in in a hurry.  But the "Alpenglow" spread.

Denali Range Alpenglow

The Denali Range showed it a little bit.  And the hills and the clouds made thing very nice also.

We got a couple more pictures then decided to follow the road as far as we were allowed, and try to get more.  Remember the 30% a little, an d 10% a lot.  We were already in the 10%.  And it got better a few miles up the road.

It is still a long ways off.  But we got our moneys worth.   What money?

The next day we continue further into the park & closer to THE Mountain, on our bus tour, and more around the park.-----